JDog Junk Removal & Hauling
Leadership: Andrew and Isaac Weins
Address: 12733 W. Arden Place, Butler
Website: jdogjunkremoval.com/franchising/menomonee-falls
What it does: Junk removal and disposal
Founded: 2016
Credit: Lila Aryan Photography
A Butler-based franchise of JDog Junk Removal & Hauling, run by Andrew and Isaac Weins, has achieved top franchise status among all 90 JDog franchises nationwide.
The company, which hauls junk away from commercial or residential properties, recently appeared on the Milwaukee iteration of popular entrepreneur pitch show “Shark Tank,” called “Project Pitch It,” which airs on WISN-TV Channel 12.
“We basically remove anything except for hazardous waste, chemicals and spouses,” Andrew Weins joked to the judges, who are Milwaukee-area business moguls.
JDog franchises are run exclusively by veterans. The Berwyn, Pennsylvania-based company’s goal is to hire 10,000 veterans by 2025.
The Weins brothers are helping JDog establish four more Wisconsin franchises, in Green Bay, Appleton, Madison and Janesville, by identifying and training veteran franchisees. JDog was seeking a cash infusion to help.
“They touched on the trust a couple of times but when you hire movers, sometimes you’re just a little nervous,” said entrepreneur Jim Lindenberg, a judge on the show. “With a veteran, feeling like you have that trust, that integrity there, that’s a great concept.”
The Weins brothers also plan to help open 40 new JDog franchises covering 125 territories across the country over the next three years, Andrew said.
“We’re not a master franchisee because we don’t sell the franchises…but we buy them basically at bulk pricing and then launch them across the country,” Andrew said.
The Weins have about 15 employees in Butler, where they are currently renovating the new headquarters facility they bought in October. A grand opening will be held June 27.
“We’re developing our Butler site into also our training facility for all of our sites across the country,” Andrew said.
Long-term, the Butler facility could house 50 employees between the franchise and the headquarters, Weins said. The franchise had about $900,000 in revenue in 2017.
At the end of the “Project Pitch It” episode, JDog was awarded a $10,000 cash prize.
“We were able to build our training program with that money … part of it was allowing our guys to travel to different sites and also bring people in to Milwaukee to train,” Andrew said.
Andrew said he’s passionate about training veterans to be entrepreneurs because he struggled to find the right career and fit in to society after his military service, and he doesn’t want others to have the same challenges.
“How do we take the skills learned in the military and help veterans reduce barriers to become entrepreneurs?” he asked.
